Although, Africa’s aviation industry is screened with issues of poor quality standards, inconsistency, ageing fleet of aircrafts et al. Amidst all that, some African airlines have been able to deliver quality service to passengers. Here is a list of the top 5 airlines in Afric:
1. Ethiopian Airlines
Ethiopia’s flag carrier is wholly owned by the government and was launched in December 1945 and commenced operations on 8 April 1946, expanding to international flights in 1951. The company became a share company in 1965, and changed its name from Ethiopian Air Lines to Ethiopian Airlines. Its headquarters is at Bole International Airport from where it serves a network of 113 passenger destinations —19 of them domestic— and 35 freighter destinations. Ethiopian flies to more destinations in Africa than any other carrier. It is one of the fastest-growing companies in the industry. It is one of the most profitable airlines in Africa.
2. South African Airways
The largest airline in South Africa, South African Airways has its headquarters in Airways Park OR Tambo International Airport. The airline flies to 56 destinations worldwide, in partnership with SA Express, SA Airlink and its low cost carrier, Mango, within South Africa and across the continent, and nine intercontinental routes from its Johannesburg hub OR Tambo International Airport, using a fleet of 54 aircraft. Musa Zwane has been acting CEO since November 2015. By 2016 it had 8 525 employees.
3. Air Mauritius
Air Mauritius Limited, operating as Air Mauritius, is the flag carrier airline of Mauritius. The airline is headquartered at the Air Mauritius Centre in Port Louis, Mauritius. Its main hub is Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport. The company is the fourth largest carrier in Sub-Saharan Africa, and has an important standing in the European, African, and Indian Ocean region markets; the airline won the “2011 Indian Ocean Leading Airline Prize”, making it the seventh year in a row for it to win the award. Air Mauritius has an important standing in the European, African and Indian Ocean regional market; operating just off the southeast coast of Africa, in the Indian Ocean the airline is headquartered at the Air Mauritius Centre, Port Louis, Mauritius. With a fleet size of 12 and operations in 26 destinations, Air Mauritius also performs a range of services for international airlines.
4. Air Seychelles
Air Seychelles is the national airline of the Republic of Seychelles, with its head office located at Seychelles International Airport on the island of Mahé. It operates inter-island services, charter services and international flights. Its main base is Seychelles International Airport. As the main driver of tourism in Seychelles, it is one of the core pillars of the national economy. The airline offers international flights to Abu Dhabi, Antananarivo, Johannesburg, Mauritius, Mumbai, Durban, Düsseldorf and Paris. Air Seychelles also operates daily domestic flights and charter services throughout the archipelago. The airline is currently 40% owned by Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates.
5. Kenya Airways
Kenya Airways Ltd., more commonly known as Kenya Airways, is the flag carrier of Kenya. The company was founded in 1977, after the dissolution of East African Airways. The carrier’s head office is located in Embakasi, Nairobi, with its hub at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. The airline was wholly owned by the Government of Kenya until April 1995, and it was privatized in 1996, becoming the first African flag carrier to successfully do so. Kenya Airways is currently a public-private partnership. The largest shareholder is the Government of Kenya (29.8.%), followed by KLM, which has a 26.73% stake in the company. The rest of the shares are held by private owners; shares are traded on the Nairobi Stock Exchange, the Dar es Salaam Stock Exchange, and the Uganda Securities Exchange. At January 2013 Kenya Airways was considered one of the leading Sub-Saharan operators. It was ranked fourth among the top ten African airlines by seat capacity, behind South African Airways, Ethiopian Airlines and EgyptAir. The airline became a full member of SkyTeam in June 2010, and is also a member of the African Airlines Association since 1977.
